KARACHI was once called the City of Lights, but it is now fast turning into a city of garbage. The after-effects of Eidul Azha have only added a little more pace to this rather unfortunate process. From the old city areas in district South to the newly developed areas across the city, heaps of garbage are a common sight. This unhygienic situation is caused by the inefficiency of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), which probably loves to fail in the performance of its core functions.

Of the millions of people who live in the city, the massive majority remains deprived of the basic right to live in a clean and healthy environment. What makes it worse is the fact that no one cares about the pathetic condition most people live in across the city. Human rights activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which are supposed to raise a voice against injustice, remain silent for reasons that are best known to them.

The SSWMB’s ignorance is unparalleled. Despite having been provided all the facilities the body needs, it carries out the waste-disposal operation only once a week in many city areas. In the rest of the areas, such an operation is not conducted even once a week. It remains at best an uncertain activity. This is not to deny that there are, indeed, some areas that experience garbage disposal almost on a daily basis, but one really has to struggle to find those areas anywhere outside the ‘elite’ zone of the city.

The majority of the city caters to who are apparently born to live and die in misery. From the cradle to the grave, they lead substandard lives in unhealthy environments where they yearn to have access to clean water and fresh air.

Living under unhygienic conditions puts these people at the risk of catching various skin diseases, blood infections, respiratory problems, growth problems, and even reproductive issues.

Moreover, littered spaces can, and do, severely affect their mental health, such as feelings of anxiety, stress as well as depression. Similarly, living in a filthy environment creates feelings of disorder and insecurity, which decrease the element of life satisfaction. The authorities should take all possible steps to clean up their act. Karachi and its teeming millions deserve far better than what they get.

Dawar Shoaib
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024